Friday, 19 October 2012

The recent rain has
dampened the ground and fungi are starting to pop up here, there and
everywhere.

Fly Agaric (Amanita
Muscaria) is probably the species that everyone associates with the season. The
common name comes from the historical practise of soaking
pieces in bowls of milk to stupefy flies. It is often found close to birch trees
and although this specimen, like most in our wood has been nibbled, the fungus
is extremely toxic to humans and must not be eaten.

Every year I look
forward to the emergence of a group of Magpie Inkcaps (Coprinus picaceus). They
grow to a height of around 30cm but their delicate perfection is short-lived
because like most of the species in this genus, the gills quickly auto-digest
turning into a dripping, black mass.

A large cluster of
Common Bonnet ( Mycena galericulata) has covered the rotting stump of a sweet
chestnut tree. Examination of the spores gave a positive
identification.

Some insects are
still in evidence if you happen to be in the right place at the right
time.

Rodney spotted a
Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) larva ambling across a log on a pile at the edge
of a track.

I noticed a
caterpillar munching voraciously on a hawthorn berry. It has the characteristics
of a larva of the Geometridae family and Jim Barrett suggested it is probably a
Mottled Pug (Eupithecia exiguata). The species should overwinter as a pupa in
the soil then emerge as an adult next May.

This caterpillar from the same family was also found on
hawthorn. Any ideas Jim?(I believe this caterpillar may be 1773 Broken-barred carpet (Electrophaes corylata); Its a tough one to call though as green body with yellow bands is a common among caterpillars. JB)

Now that a large percentage of leaves have already
fallen - or been blown off! - it's easier to notice some things like galls for
example. The Ram's-horn Gall on this pedunculate oak tree was caused by the gall
wasp Andricus aries. It was only discovered in England in 1997 but is now quite
common across the south of the country. Not much is know about the life cycle of
the wasp apart from the fact it has two generations a year, the second in the
gall from October emerging the following spring.

A peculiar little appendage on the underside of a
hornbeam leaf was identified by Tony Davis as the larval case of micro moth
Coleophora violacea. It has fragments of leaf attached to the surface. The plain
brown adult flies in May and June.